


Speak

by icyfalls



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Deaf Character, F/M, Reader-Insert, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmate-First Words, Soulmates, soulmate!AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2015-05-27
Packaged: 2018-08-14 02:22:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7995151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icyfalls/pseuds/icyfalls
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <span class="small"></span>
  <br/>
</p><div>
  <p>
    <br/>
    <span class="small">and for the first time in years, she didn't feel so alone anymore</span>
    <br/>
    <span class="small"></span>
    <br/>
  </p>
</div>
            </blockquote>





	Speak

**Author's Note:**

>   
>  **Soulmate!AU where the first words you hear your soulmate say to you is inked onto your wrist**   
>  Tsukishima Kei x Deaf!Reader  
> 

 

**_People laugh at the way I talk_ **

 

That would be the first thing his soulmate would say to him, and as he read over those words again and again, he wondered what kind of person his soulmate would turn out to be.  Walking into class, he caught sight of his best friend and a particular girl in their seats beside each other with smiles on both their faces. With his headphones on, he ignored them and walked over to his seat by the corner and sat down, pulling out his books for that lesson. 

“Good morning Tsukki!” 

He turned to tell the freckled boy to shut up like he usually does, but when he saw the small smile on [Name]’s face and the way she gave him a little wave, he looked back down to his books after greeting them curtly. “Morning.”

Peering over his textbook, he saw Yamaguchi reading something that she wrote on a little notebook she always carried around, before laughing and saying something to her again. He would never admit it, but seeing Yamaguchi have such a good relationship with [Name] made jealousy spark within him. 

Even though she was deaf, [Name] never spoke and was efficient at lip reading and always wrote down her comments on her notebook or phone, making it easier to communicate with her. She always appeared so cheerful, but Tsukishima could see that she was actually very self conscious from the way she would try to cover her face with her hair and how she would shy away from groups of people; and he admired her for being so strong. It didn’t take long for him to develop feelings for [Name], and many times he wanted to confess to her, but whenever he got her attention, the words that he practiced so many times in front of the mirror would disappear from his brain, and he’d end up saying some sort of snide remark. Luckily for him, [Name] quickly got used to his snarky comments and often wrote down sassy retorts. He would find himself staring at her, waiting patiently while she wrote on her notebook, and marvel at her pretty handwriting when she shoved the small book into his face.

Sometimes, the way she stared at him to read his words would make him blush, and whenever she smiled, that sight alone was enough to send his heart soaring. 

 

 

 

~~

 

  
Tsukishima, Yamaguchi and [Name] were having their lunch in their classroom, and the boys were telling her about volleyball practice, filling her in with all the hilarious stories of the “barbarian” and “the king” of the team. The laughter that left her lips made everyone around them to stare at her with wide, bulging eyes. 

 

Almost immediately, whispers started to spread.

“I didn’t know she had a voice.”

“Isn’t [Name] deaf?”

“Do you think she’ll be able to speak?”

Feeling their piercing stares, she stiffened and lowered her head, focusing her gaze on her bento in front of her. Whatever they had to say, she didn’t want to know. From the corner of her eye, she saw Yamaguchi stand up, a deep-knit frown on his face as he shouted at the group of people gossiping a couple of tables away. Tsukishima exuded a menacing aura as he glared at them, almost as if daring them to speak up. 

They were receiving more and more attention, and not being able to handle all the questioning looks, [Name] dashed out of the classroom, tears starting to well up in her eyes.

 

 

~~

 

Tsukishima found her on the rooftop, hugging her legs close to her chest as she rested her chin on her knees. He approached her slowly, chest clenching at the sight of her with such a sad expression on her face. Making sure that she had seen him coming, he sat down in front of her and waited for her to look at him before saying, “Are you alright?”

She nodded, wiping away the wetness on her face, sniffling as she did so. 

“Yamaguchi and I made sure they won’t say anything about you again. He was really worried when you ran off…” Watching her closely, he added, “I was worried too, you know…”

Mustering a small smile, [Name] wanted to give him a reply when she realized that both her phone and notebook was still in the classroom. Knowing what she was looking for, Tsukishima took out his phone and passed it to her, waiting as she typed out a message.

 

_'Thank you for standing up for me, Kei. But there's no point in that. They'll always think of me as a freak.'_

 

“How could you say that?” He frowned after reading what she had typed, and she could see the intensity building in those golden eyes of his.

_ 'It must be true... I don't even have a soulmate...' _

 

She rolled up the sleeve of her uniform to prove her point, showing him her wrist.

Blank. 

There were no letters inked into her skin, unlike those black words written on his.  


 

For once, Tsukishima was at a loss for words, and could only watch as she looked away from him, staring blankly at the sky. 

 

Had she always felt like this? 

 

As if she was alone with no one out there; waiting for her?

 

It was impossible...  _Everyone_ had a soulmate. He wrecked his brain with all sorts of possibilities, and when he thought about the words on his own wrist, something in his head clicked. His infatuation with her, the strong urge to protect her, the desire to hold her when she looked so upset; everything would _finally_ make sense if his theory were correct.

 

Tsukishima tapped her arm to gain her attention before asking her, careful of the words he used. “Don’t mind me asking, but it’s true that you can speak, right?"

 

When she nodded her head, he pressed on,"then why don't you?"

 

She stared at him as if trying to discern if he was joking. But when she realized that he was completely sincere in his question, she sighed and parted her lips to speak; mumbling quietly, **"People laugh at the way I talk."**

 

His breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened. Her voice were a tad bit monotonous and drawled out, but her voice was nonetheless melodic to his ears. And it was her words that made his heart skip a beat. 

 

Everyday he saw those same words, and now someone had finally said it to him.

 

Thinking that he was judging the way she spoke, her expression fell and she bit her lip, shifting uncomfortably. 

 

"[Name]... You're my soulmate." A pinkish hue crept to the tip of his ears as he showed her his wrist, watching her expression turn into one of surprise. 

 

"I think," he explained when she looked back at him," It's not the first words our soulmate say that gets written on our wrists. It's the first thing we _hear_ from them. That's why you don't have any words on you."

 

"We're... soulmtes?" She asked, a hopeful smile lighting up her features .

 

Tsukishima nodded slowly, trying to hide his embarrassment. Trying his best not to spoil the moment, he told her,"You should talk more often. There's nothing wrong with the way you speak, and I... I won't let anyone make fun of you again, so please don't cry anymore."

 

Despite herself, [Name] started to tear up at his words.

 

For the first time in years, she didn't feel so alone anymore. 

 

**Author's Note:**

>   
>  leave a comment and/or fav if you liked it!
> 
>  
> 
> thank you for reading and have a lovely day ♥


End file.
